


Lip's Not So Subtle

by MeganWrites



Series: Conversations [1]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Additional scenes, Canon Compliant, Drabbles, M/M, some Karen/Lip, some Mandy/Lip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-19
Updated: 2014-04-19
Packaged: 2018-01-19 22:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 5,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1487008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeganWrites/pseuds/MeganWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In truth he had been thinking about it a lot since Ian had blurted out his secret relationship with the south side thug. He spent a long time trying to wrap his head around the idea that Mickey Milkovich was a closeted gay man but nothing about it seemed right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Karen

**Author's Note:**

> Set between 1x12 and 2x01

Lip took a long drag from the cigarette perched between his fingers and glanced at Karen from the corner of his eye. She looked up at him and smiled coyly before yawning and closing her eyes. They laid beside each other in the old van behind the Gallagher house, still stripped of their clothes and enjoying the post-sex silence that had fallen between them.

"Hey," Lip began quietly and cleared his throat, "did you ever have sex with Mickey Milkovich?"

Karen snorted and opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling of the van, "where did that come from?"

Lip shrugged, feigning innocence, "just thought of it." In truth he had been thinking about it a lot since Ian had blurted out his secret relationship with the south side thug. He spent a long time trying to wrap his head around the idea that Mickey Milkovich was a closeted gay man but nothing about it seemed right. "Didn't he used to ask you out all the time?"

Karen released a long sigh and rolled over, propping herself up on her forearms and looking down at Lip. He recognized her expression quickly, it was one she used often with him when what she thought was an annoying conversation wasn't going to go away. "Yeah, I guess." She answered, "I mean, more like he just wanted to fuck, but yeah he did sometimes."

Lip nodded, taking another drag, "so did you fuck him?"

The blonde rolled her eyes and sat up, "no."

"Really?" Lip questioned, raising his eyebrows and pressing the issue further, "nothing?"

"Oh my god!" Karen called out exasperated and fell back, laying down and staring at the ceiling once again. "Alright, if you say a word about this to anyone I will kill you." She breathed in and closed her eyes, "I was having a really shitty day a couple years ago and I gave him a hummer in the alley behind the gym, then when I tried to take it further he came up with some dumb excuse to leave and that is all." She opened her eyes and glanced at Lip.

Lip chuckled, "so he actually turned you down?"

"Probably just because he's into fat chicks," Karen responded and lightly smacked Lip's arm.

Lip smirked, "yeah, I'm sure that's it." He answered and closed his eyes. Maybe Mickey was gay, maybe there had been signs all along and Lip had been too blinded by his last name to see it. "Did he at least get hard?" Lip asked, laughing as Karen hit him once again, in his own my mind reminded of a conversation he had with Karen about his younger brother the year before.

"Lip," Karen spoke sternly as she rolled on top of Lip, "stop talking about Mickey fucking Milkovich."

Whatever words or thought he was going to have next was abruptly cut off by Karen's lips pressing firmly against his own.


	2. Debbie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during 2x02

Lip rushed down the stairs and grabbed a pancake off the plate in the center of the table, the house was empty except for Debbie sitting at the table and the crowd of children she watched during the summer with Liam in the living room.

"Hey Debs," he greeted her with a quick kiss on top of her head, "where is everybody?"

Debbie released a long dramatic breath looking up from the paper she was writing on. Lip was struck by how she always looked so old for someone so young, "Fiona is sleeping off her night shift, Carl's out with a friend and Ian went with Mandy to pick up her brother."

Lip poured himself a cup of coffee, "you mean Mickey?"

Debbie shrugged, "I guess so, I don't know, he seemed pretty excited about it. Are they friends?"

Lip's eyes widened and he put down his coffee mid-sip, "what?"

Debbie turned around and looked at Lip, "uhm, friends? Like do they hang out? I've never heard of Mandy's brother from Ian before."

Lip cleared his throat and shrugged as casually as he could manage, "maybe? I think it's just because he is Mandy's brother."

Debbie furrowed her brow, "is that the sort of thing a good boyfriend does?"

Lip did not manage to stop mid-sip again and instead choked on his coffee, "Mickey's boyfriend?!" Debbie's words startling him, thoughts of Mickey and Ian being boyfriends causing his own words to jumble. "Or Mandy, sorry," he corrected himself quickly.

Debbie watched him carefully, the judging concern evident on her face. Lip awkwardly finished his coffee and rushed to the door, "Uh, yeah, he's being a good boyfriend to Mandy." He called out behind him and slipped on his jacket, "I gotta go Debs, ice cream truck won't drive itself."

He rushed out the door barely hearing Debbie saying goodbye.


	3. Frank

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during 2x08

Lip walked down the street, he needed to clear his head for more than one reason. After spending most of the day trying to convince Karen that they should look for a good family for their baby - or her baby - instead of how much money they had, then facing Fiona throwing him out of the house, he was feeling stressed enough. Though as he walked Karen to her house they were confronted by an angry Mickey Milkovich searching for Frank with his two brothers wandering behind him. Lip instantly noticed the stress Mickey's search was causing him, he seemed shaken and desperate.

The look on Mickey's face as he walked away inspired Lip to send Ian a quick text wondering what was going on and hoping that Ian was close enough to the thug to know what sort of danger their alcoholic father was facing.

 _Don't worry about it._ Ian had vaguely texted him back and Lip's mind was made up.

After hours of searching Lip finally found Frank stumbling through an alley late at night, he rushed up and grabbed his shoulders, "Frank!"

Frank stumbled drunkenly and turned around, "Lip m'boy, the world is a dark place." He slurred sullenly, gripping a half empty forty of beer in his hand, still wrapped in a brown paper bag.

"Yeah, yeah, great." Lip said, ignoring whatever mumbled nonsense Frank was spouting, "now what the hell did you do to the Milkovich's?"

Frank waved his hand, "boys will be boys. Sometimes things work when you don't think they should. Ask Ian, he knows."

Lip gripped Frank's arm tightly, preventing him from taking off down the alley, his mind trying to find some correlation, "what happened Frank? I think you're in some deep shit with them and if you get Ian involved..." Lip's voice trailed off angrily and Frank laughed loudly.

"Too late!" Frank grinned, waggling his eyebrows as he spoke, "he is involved." He coughed and stumbled, the grin on his face falling and he looked down, "my mother's dying, I can't think about this." He pulled away from Lip and stumbled away.

Lip watched hearing Frank muttering his sob story to himself and glanced back down the alley as he heard a scuffle from around the corner. He breathed in, shoving his hands in his pocket and headed out in the same direction as Frank had stumbled off.

Somehow Frank had caught on to whatever was going on between Ian and Mickey, Lip was sure of that, and somehow Mickey had found out that he did. He thought back to the desperate look on Mickey's face and breathed in, he wondered what would happen or how far Mickey would go to keep his dirty little secret.

This was exactly why Lip didn't think Mickey was good for Ian, exactly why he was constantly so worried about the unhealthy relationship. He tried to swallow his concern and pulled out his cellphone quickly texting Ian, _are you safe?_

His phone buzzed a couple seconds later, it seemed so natural that Ian would know exactly what what Lip meant without needing to know whatever else had happened during the day.

_He wouldn't hurt me._


	4. Mandy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between 3x02 and 3x03

Mandy liked to talk, recently Lip noticed that she had gotten espcially chatty after sex. They would lie in silence for a moment, then Mandy would roll on her side, begin dancing her fingers across his chest and reciting her day. If Lip had to be honest, it was rare that he ever really listened. Often he would mutter "oh" or "mhmm", giving her non-commital nods and trying to focus on the shapes her fingers traced on his skin.

"And then all I wanted to do was hang out with Ian for ten seconds but he had to run off and meet his stupid secret hook up again." Mandy's words ran through Lip's mind as he tried to focus and listen, "and I don't get it because he told me they were over but now here we are..."

"They're back together?" Lip questioned, his clouded mind becoming clearer as he focused his thoughts on his brother's muddled love life.

Mandy nodded and scoffed, "I guess so, I wish they weren't."

Lip shifted, sitting up a little, "what do you mean?" His concern for Ian's involvement with Mickey bubbling to the surface once again, "did he say something? Do something?"

Mandy raised an eyebrow at Lip's sudden interest in the topic. "No, well, sort of." She swallowed, her hand stilling, "it's just so obvious how in love he is but then he says things like not knowing if this guy even likes him."

Lip's eyes widened as he stared forward, he had never considered that Ian was falling in love. Were the signs really that obvious?

"If this guy breaks his heart I'm going to send my brothers to fuck him up, tell them that this guy tried to touch me or some shit," Mandy stated turning her head to grin at Lip. "Mickey might even do it if I were to just tell him it was to help Ian out."

Lip smirked, if only Mandy knew that she would be sending Mickey after himself. "Mickey would help Ian out?" Lip questioned, choosing to focus on the last sentence.

Mandy shrugged, "maybe, they've been hanging out on and off recently, kind of seem like friends which is weird because I can't remember the last time Mickey had a friend."

Lip picked up a cigarette, lighting it and take a long drag. The conversation was turning to a more interesting topic than he was used to these talks becoming. "It's rare for Mickey to have friends then?"

Mandy nodded and laughed, "guess there's something about Ian he likes more than most people." She finally resumed tracing patterns on Lips' chest, "just hope he doesn't find out Ian's gay 'cause that'll be a shit show."

Lip nodded as Mandy changed the topic and Lip resumed giving her non-commital nods and scarcely paying attention to her words. He was stuck thinking about Ian and Mickey, how maybe Mickey Milkovich cared about Ian as more than a fuck buddy. He thought of Ian's apparent love for Mickey and wondered if Mickey reaching out through a rarely given friendship was his own way of showing a painfully obvious love for Ian.

Lip blinked wearily, Ian's love life was, as always, too complex.

 


	5. Fiona

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during 3x10

With all of the chaos surrounding the Gallagher's it was hard to notice that Ian was beginning to crack, it wasn't until after the house had been saved from cousin Patrick that Fiona approached Lip. It was late at night, Lip had wandered downstairs unable to sleep with Mandy tossing and turning beside him. He saw Fiona sitting at the table immediately, her feet curled underneath her as she clutched a half filled mug in her hands. She looked up and smiled softly, "what are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," he muttered and wandered to the fridge, grabbing a beer for himself and sat down, "you?"

Fiona breathed in slowly and pointed to the couch where Ian laid passed out for the second time in a row. "Do you know what's up with him? I'm getting worried."

Lip watched his younger brother and took a sip of his beer, he looked down sadly thinking of the words Ian had said to him earlier that night, he clenched his fist under the table as he remembered Ian's description of Terry Milkovich's special brand of torture. He watched his brother anger burning behind his eyes and he wondered if Mickey was this upset, the day before when Mandy had hired him to deal with Cousin Patrick he seemed the same as always. Maybe Mickey was a better actor than Lip gave him credit for, or maybe he never cared after all. Lip swallowed all his hatred and turned back to his sister, "young love, heartbreak."

Fiona's eyes widened, "it's not Ned is it?"

Lip almost spat out his drink, "fuck no!" He laughed and shook his head, "just some guy he's been seeing for the past couple years. Guess some shit went down and things aren't going to work out."

"How is this the first I'm hearing about this?" Fiona almost growled across the table, "a couple years? Who is this guy?"

Lip glanced back to Ian's sleeping form, he had never liked lying to Fiona, "won't tell me."

It was silent for a moment, both siblings sitting and stewing in their thoughts until Fiona asked quietly, "does he love this guy?"

Lip took another sip of his beer and nodded slowly, "yeah, he does."

"And this guy," Fiona started carefully, "he love Ian?"

Lip shrugged, once again trying to imagine Mickey in love. He thought to all the times he had seen the pair together, joking and enjoying each other's company. Since he's conversation with Mandy, Lip had started to notice little things whenever he would be in Kash and Grab, like the way neither of them could go longer than a minute without glancing at the other, or how every time Mickey went to grab himself a drink he would bring Ian one as well without needing to ask, or when Ian opened the store he would always grab a magazine and put it on the counter so that when Mickey came in he could just start reading, but mostly he noticed how much more happy and comfortable they seemed around each other. What the two of them had - it seemed a lot like love.

Lip stood as he finished his beer, placing the empty bottle on the counter and looking back at his younger brother, suddenly he seemed so small. Lip's words were soft and sad as he settled on his answer, "not enough."


	6. Iggy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during 3x11

Ian's arm was draped across Lip's shoulders as he struggled to direct them both away from the wedding, Ian still slurring about commie sluts and lost love until his head bobbed as he muttered, "I'm gonna puke."

Lip's eyes widened, "ah shit." He pulled Ian along quickly to the bathroom just before the buildings exit, he turned the doorknob and shuffled Ian inside directing him to a toilet just as he began to vomit. Lip cringed at the sound and smell, backing away from the stall to lean back against the wall. There was a flush and Lip looked up as Iggy Milkovich wandered out of one of the stalls seeming just as drunk as Ian.

He pointed at Lip and grinned, "Gallagher!" Then turned to the open stall seeing Ian crouched over the toilet and laughed, "fuck! Gallagher, you don't look so good."

Lip clenched his jaw, praying that Ian didn't say anything stupid. He didn't want to drag Ian on to the street like this, but if he had to he would. "Yeah, he drank a bit much."

Iggy nodded, "same, this wedding blows."

"Well, your brother did marry a Russian whore." Lip commented and pulled a cigarette out, lighting it and savoring the instant calming effect.

Iggy laughed loudly and grinned, "yeah, and even he knows this is a piece of shit wedding."

Lip raised an eyebrow, "you don't say?"

"Pissed off enough about it," Iggy commented offhandedly, completely unaware of the weight behind his words, "got out of here the second he could, been downstairs getting fucked up by himself while his brides dancing with pop's." Iggy laughed loudly once again, "maybe her wedding night will be with the wrong Milkovich." Iggy was set into a laughing fit once again at his own words and wandered out of the bathroom without saying goodbye. Lip looked at his brother, half passed out on the floor of a shitty bathroom, miserable and heartbroken.

Maybe it was cruel, or maybe he was just being protective, but Lip was glad that Mickey was a disaster too.

It only seemed fair that the trade off for crushing a heart was crushing your own.


	7. Kev

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during 4x04

Lip sat alone sipping at his beer and watching the bar, Mickey had come in almost half an hour ago, he sat alone chugging beers and looking down. Lip had known Mickey for a long time, probably longer than Ian did, they had classes together and Lip had written more than a few essay's for the thug over the years, and since then he had seen every kind of Mickey's moods. He had always been rough, dirty, comical in his own twisted way, sometimes (usually around Ian or Mandy) he would be calm and happy, but he always a second away from beating someone senseless. Now, as Lip watched him tracing a finger over the grooves and faults on the bar, he was completely different. He almost seemed like a hollowed out version of himself, still rough and dirty but everything else was replaced by a deep sadness.

"Got you another," Kev stated as he spun the chair across from Lip around and sat resting his arms on what should be the back of the chair, "just tapped a new keg."

Lip nodded, and took the glass that had been placed in front of him, "thanks, hey, is Mickey here a lot?"

Kev sat up and chuckled, seeming surprised by the question, "yeah, most nights," the older man answered glancing to the bar, "mostly just drinks and keeps to himself, hasn't gotten into any fights which is weird but good for business."

Lip laughed and took a sip of his beer, "just never pegged him to be the Alibi regular type."

"Me neither," Kev answered, "think he had something go down with some girl though."

Lip put down his glass as his eyes snapped to Kevin, his interest in the conversation growing, "some girl?"

Kev nodded, "he gets drunk some nights, starts muttering about someone leaving him and calls his wife a bitch. Nothing happy about that marriage," Kev glanced back at Mickey again, the dark haired boy still in the same spot drinking his beer, "couple weeks ago he fucked some girl in the bathroom, came back out looking more miserable than before."

"Shit," Lip muttered, "what does he say about the, uh, whoever left him?" Lip stumbled over his words, his thoughts focusing on Ian as he spoke.

Kev chuckled, "not much, think she may have been a ginger though." The older man's voice trailed off as he thought, "speaking of which he's asked about your brother a couple times, didn't say why but I'm guessing Ian owes him some money or something."

Lip's head snapped up once again at Ian's name, and as Kev spoke Lip could swear that he saw a knowing look as if Kev had been in on the secret from the very start. "Don't think it'll be too long before Mickey goes out looking for him."

Kev stood and walked away leaving Lip more baffled then he had been before.


	8. Mickey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during 4x08

Lip waited in his room for a long time until he heard the boys bedroom door open, he stepped out of his room and glanced down the hall, he heard one pair of feet trudging down the stairs and made his way to the room. He paused in the doorway, seeing Mickey sitting on the edge of Ian's bed playing with his hands. Lip cleared his throat and Mickey's head snapped up, "Ian's downstairs." He spoke quickly making his discomfort obvious, "said he'll be back in a second."

Lip crossed his arms and stepped into the room, "no, I wanted to talk to you."

Mickey raised his eyebrows, his hands still fidgeting, "what the fuck you want?"

"Charming as always," Lip muttered, resisting the urge to insult the thug, "I just wanted to say thanks - for bringing Ian home."

Mickey's eyes softened slightly at the mention of Ian's name, his hands stopped fidgeting and he nodded. He glanced down and mutter, "yeah, got tired of Mandy crying and shit."

Lip smirked and shook his head, "yeah, Mandy." He bit his tongue holding back a laugh and leaned back against the bunk bed post, "well, I'm not sure Mandy would've been able to get him here, so thanks."

Mickey nodded finally looking back up from his hands, Lip felt the sudden urge to start questioning Mickey, after all this time Lip just wanted the chance to have a conversation with him about this - about Ian. As happy as Lip was that Mickey had dragged Ian back to the house all the memories of Ian's broken confessions of lost love were etched in Lip's mind. He didn't forget the only reason Ian needed to be dragged back was because Mickey had pushed him away. Lip wanted to make sure that never happened again, that if Mickey was going to be with Ian he wouldn't shove him away again. He wanted to yell and scream, but all he could manage was a simple question, his eyes locked on Mickey, "is he going to have any reason to take off again?"

Mickey met his gaze, his nervousness seeming to subside as he faced the hostility (that Lip was sure) he was more accustomed to. It was silent for a long time before Mickey answered, his voice was loud and clear, "no."

Lip heard Ian rushing up the stairs and nodded, "good," he lightened his tone and stood, walking towards the still open door, "I missed him."

From behind him Lip heard a quiet, "me too."


	9. Carl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during 4x09

Lip looked up from the breakfast he was heating as Carl stumbled down the stairs tiredly. Carl didn't acknowledge him until he was seated at the table and blearily looking around for food. "Hey," the younger boy nodded at Lip and yawned.

"What's with you?" Lip asked as he started putting together a plate of food for himself.

"Mickey and Ian got in late last night, woke me up." Carl answered yawning once again and stretching.

Lip glanced to the stairs and walked to the table, sitting beside Carl and pulling a fork out to eat with, "Mickey's still here?" Carl nodded and grabbed a fork of his own, casually picking food off of Lip's plate, Lip smiled and pushed the plate over to Carl before standing to make up another for himself."So what do you think of him?" Lip asked, trying to keep his question sounding casual.

Carl shrugged, "he's kind of an ass but he let me play with his switchblade and hold his gun so that's kind of cool."

Given his history, it shouldn't have surprised Lip that Carl would get along with Mickey.

Lip nodded and finished making up a new plate before sitting back down by Carl, "yeah, but how do you feel about him basically living here?"

Carl shrugged once again (what was it with teens and being nonchalant?), "I like him better than Mandy so I guess I'm okay with it."

Lip took a bite and watched Carl, "what does Mandy have to do with this?"

"Well when Mandy was your girlfriend she basically lived here, and now Mickey's Ian's boyfriend and he lives here." Carl took a large bite of food and continued talking while he chewed, "but I like Mickey better so I guess it's okay."

Lip nearly choked, "Mickey is Ian's boyfriend?"

Carl looked up from his plate at Lip, "isn't he? He sleeps in Ian's bed all the time."

Lip found himself that one to be shrugging this time, and as Carl went back to his breakfast Lip thought back to a couple years before when he had seen Mickey so desperate and angry, searching everywhere for Frank to a hide a secret that he now was so blatantly unconcerned about around Ian's siblings.

He had been so focused on school, Liam, and Fiona the past few weeks that he wondered what other details about Ian's life he was missing out on.


	10. The Alibi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between 4x11 and 4x12

Lip stepped into the Alibi brushing the snow off his jacket and stomping his feet on the ground, he waved at Kev and Veronica sitting behind the bar. Veronica holding their newborn twins and Kev serving drinks to the regular crowd. Lip sat down and nodding at Tommy and Kermit who were sitting beside each other.

"Hey Lip," Kev greeted him, "hows it going man? Where's Liam?"

Lip shrugged, "not bad, he's just with a someone back at the house." Lip stumbled over his words, he had left Amanda at the house with Liam but found himself unwilling to begin a discussion about his sort of girlfriend. He smiled widely at Veronica, "just came to say hi and congrats."

Veronica smiled, a blanket over her shoulder covering one of the babies, "oh, thanks Lip. I'll bring them over there once their done eating."

"Should've come by last night," Tommy interrupted with a low chuckle, "missed quite the night."

Lip raised an eyebrow and looked at Kev, "Frank?"

Kev tilted his head, "you don't know?" He poured a beer and slide it in front of Lip, "Mickey and your brother had a showdown with Terry Milkovich."

Lip's eyes widened, his mind immediatly jumping to the worst conclusions as he remember the quiet sobs from Ian for nights, the drinking and endless late nights, cumulating in Ian running away. His clutched the glass in front of him, his knuckles turning white, "what the fuck did Mickey do?"

"Came out of the closet!" Kermit called from the end of the bar.

Lip's grip loosened immediatly as his eyebrows shot up, his eyes met Kev's and the older man chuckled, "didn't sit to well with Terry, turned into a full out bar fight after Ian got involved."

"All of them left here bloodied up, Milkovich's being dragged by cops," Tommy explained as he continued to drink his own beer, "Mickey screaming about how much he likes dick." Kermit, Tommy and Kev all laughed at the memory as Lip sat silently in shock.

"No shit," Lip muttered taking a long drink of his beer, trying to wrap his mind around the supposed events that had taken place just the night before.

"Well, not just any dick," Kev responded to Tommy setting the group of men into another round of laughs.

Lip furrowed his brow, "wait, what?"

Kev grinned, and Veronica spoke from her seat behind the bar,"Ian. How long have the been a thing?"

Lip nearly choked on his beer. He had seen Ian and Mickey becoming closer, especially behind the closed doors of the Gallagher house. Slowly showing more and more affection for each other through little gestures and moments. They would sleep in the same bed, get ready in the bathroom together, eat and cook together occasionally sharing drinks and their plates of food. Their hands were brush on occasion, sometimes a hand pressed against the others back or secret smiles across the room meant only for the other. One day Lip walked into the house and swore he saw Mickey brushing his hand through Ian's hair as they sat on the couch watching television, leading Lip to wonder how intimate and gentle they really were together. Each discret moment was something Lip had never expected to see from someone so deep in the closet as Mickey, and yet he did.

This was the next step he guessed, but it still seemed like such a giant step to take - such an unlikely step for Mickey to take.

Though he supposed if Mickey Milkovich was going to come out as gay the only way it could be done was with blood, head butts, and swinging fists.

Lip swallowed and blinked, finally smiling at the thought, "few years I guess." He looked up at Kev, his smile blossoming into a grin, "about time he said something about it."

Kev smiled back, grabbing the empty cup from in front of Lip, the two men ignoring whatever banter Tommy and Kermit had begun. "They left here covered in cuts and bruises, but fucking grinning from ear to ear."

Veronica stood and walked behind Lip, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Ian deserves this." She grinned, "this is Amy and this is Jemma."

Lip smiled widely and carefully took one of the girls hands, quietly cooing "hi" to the newborns.


	11. Ian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set between 4x11 and 4x12

When Lip stepped into the house, Liam in his arms, the first thing he saw was Mickey sitting on the couch watching TV with a dufflebag next to him on the floor. He narrowed his eyes looking at the bag and stepped into the living room, "you finally moving out?"

Mickey glanced to Lip for a second, "yeah, Ian and I are going back to my place."

"Ian's going with you?" Lip questioned and glanced to the stairs hearing the shuffle of feet on the upper level.

"Of course he is," Mickey answered with a scoff.

Lip slipped the bag off his shoulder and placed Liam on the couch next to Mickey, "watch him for a second? Ian upstairs?" He had already began walking up the stairs by the time he heard Mickey mumble something that sounded like _yeah, whatever._

Lip took the steps two at a time before he came to their previously shared room where Ian was carefully putting clothing in his army dufflebag, he could already see Ian's army sleeping bag wrapped up next to the bag. Lip stepped inside the door noticing the bruises were almost faded on Ian's face, "you moving out again?"

Ian looked up and a relaxed grin grew on his face, "not going too far this time."

Lip nodded and stepped over the piles Ian was packing away, he sat down on Ian's bed taking out a joint he had tucked away in his pocket (he tended to keep one close in case a time like this came up), he carefully light it and passed it to Ian as his younger brother joined him sitting on the bed.

"Heading to the Milkovich house then?" Lip questioned chuckling, "shacking up with Mickey."

Ian laughed and nodded, "well, he's got his own room."

"And a wife," Lip commented, "sharing with her too?"

"She's got her own room now too." Ian answered, the grin seemed permanently stuck on his face. It had been a long time since Lip had seen him so content and happy.

A silence fell between them as the sucked happily on the joint being passed back and forth, Lip lost in his worries and thoughts of Ian leaving once again. He took a deep breath as he passed the last of the joint to Ian, and watched his brother carefully. "So, Mickey Milkovich," Lip said and smiled, "he worth it? All the shit you went through?"

Ian took a drag, holding it in for a long moment before blowing out the stream of smoke, "every second."

Lip nodded, and swallowed his eyes meeting Ian as the younger man looked over at him, "I'm glad you guys are happy," Lip spoke softly contemplating his next words for a moment longer before speaking, "I think he really loves you."

Ian smiled and didn't say a word as he finished packing his bag, Lip didn't expect him to though. Ian and Lip had never needed to exchange words to know what the other was really saying, because Ian knew that Lip was giving his blessing. Lip was letting him know that after all these years he finally got it - was supporting it. Ian closed and lifted his bag standing and stepped out the room, Lip followed closely behind and the two boys rushed down the stairs to where Mickey still sat in the living room uncomfortably as Liam had cuddled up next to him.

Ian laughed put his hand on Mickey's shoulder, smiling down lovingly at the older boy. Mickey looked up and stood quickly escaping Liam's clutch. "Took you fucking long enough," Mickey grumbled and picked up his own bag, "you good?"

Ian nodded and looked over at look Lip, Lip smiled and pulled his younger brother into a quick hug. "Don't going turning into a Milkovich thug on us now," Lip commented and snorted as he saw Mickey flipping him off from behind Ian. Lip pulled back and picked up Liam from the couch, walking to the kitchen and calling out, "remember to visit!"

Lip glanced back as he stood beside the fridge just inside the door frame. Mickey was standing in front of Ian, looking up at the redhead and biting his lip. Ian reached his hand up, slipping it behind Mickey's neck and pulling him into a tender kiss and smiling as they parted. Lip watched the pair as they stepped out of the house hearing Mickey's voice as the door opened and closed, "you smoking weed without me Gallagher?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! I will probably be uploading more stories soon, so subscribe if you liked this one!

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr :)](http://meganwwrites.tumblr.com)


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